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Introduction of Regional Planning
REGIONAL PLANNING IS THE INSTRUMENT THROUGH WHICH OPTIMAL UTILIZATION OF SPACE AND OPTIMAL DISTRIBUTION PATTERN OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES IS SOUGHT TO BE BROUGHT ABOUT.
REGIONAL PLANNERS
1. IMPROVE THE DISTRIBUTION PATTERN OF HUMAN ACTIVITY.
2. REDUCE THE DISPARITIES BETWEEN THE RICH AND POOR REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY.
ACCORDING TO MACKAYE REGIONAL PLANNING “CONSISTS IN THE ATTEMPT DISCOVERING THE PLANS OF NATURE FOR THE ATTAINMENT OF MAN’S AIMS UPON THE EARTH; IT VISUALISES INDUSTRY AS THE SERVANT OF CULTURE, AND ITS CHIEF CONCERN IS THE GUIDANCE WITHIN A REGION OF THE FLOW OF CIVILISATION.” REGIONAL PLANNING SHOULD BE VIEWED AS ESSENTIALLY A MEANS TO STRENGTHEN THE NATIONAL ECONOMY. IT IS A TECHNIQUE TO EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL OF SUB-NATIONAL AREAS AND TO DEVELOP THEM TO THE BEST ADVANTAGE OF THE NATION AS A WHOLE.
THE BASIC GOALS OF REGIONAL PLANNING-
- BUILDING OF THE RESOURCE BASE AND OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, DIVERSITY, AND STRENGTH.
- BALANCE IN THE ECONOMY.
- ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT.
- GENERAL WELFARE.
Introduction
India has centralized planning and the task of planning in India has been entrusted to the Planning Commission of India.
Planning Commission of India is a statutory body headed by the Prime Minister and has a Deputy Chairman and other members.
However, the Planning Commission of India is recently is now “National Institution for Transforming India” or simply NITI Aayog.
The planning in the country is largely carried out through the array of Five Year Plans.
At present, the Twelfth Five Year Plan is running, which was initiated in 2012 with a focus on ‘Faster, More Inclusive and Sustainable Growth.
Approaches of Planning
Normally, there are two approaches to planning. They are −
- Sectoral planning
- Regional planning.
Sectoral Planning
Sectoral planning means formulation and implementation of the sets of schemes or programs aimed at the development of various sectors of the economy such as agriculture, irrigation, manufacturing, power, construction, transport, communication, social infrastructure, and services.
Regional Planning
Since all the regions of India have not developed on the same lines, therefore, to reduce the regional imbalances, regional planning was introduced.
Target Area Planning
In order to reduce the regional and social disparities, the Planning Commission introduced the ‘target area’ and ‘target group’ approaches to planning.
Some of the examples of target area planning directed towards the development of target areas are −
- Command Area Development Program;
- Drought Prone Area Development Program;
- Desert Development Program; and
- Hill Area Development Program.
Examples of target area planning are − the Small Farmers Development Agency (SFDA) and Marginal Farmers Development Agency (MFDA).
Hill Area Development Programs were initiated during the Fifth Five Year Plan. The plan covers 15 districts comprising all the hilly districts of Uttarakhand, Mikir Hill, and North Cachar Hills of Assam, Darjeeling district of West Bengal, and Nilgiri district of Tamil Nadu.
The major aims of Hill Area Development Program were harnessing the indigenous resources of the hilly areas through the development of horticulture, plantation agriculture, animal husbandry, poultry, forestry, and small-scale and village industry.
Drought Prone Area Program was initiated during the Fourth Five-Year Plan with the objectives of providing employment to the people in drought-prone areas and creating productive assets.
The drought prone area in India largely covers the semi-arid and arid tract of Rajasthan; Gujarat; Western Madhya Pradesh; Marathwada region of Maharashtra; Rayalseema and Telangana plateaus of Andhra Pradesh & Telangana; Karnataka plateau; and highlands and interior parts of Tamil Nadu.
Planning Facts
In 1967, the Planning Commission of India identified 67 districts (entire or partly) of the country prone to drought.
In 1972, the Irrigation Commission introduced the criterion of 30% irrigated area and demarcated the drought-prone areas.
In the 1970s, the phrases such as redistribution with growth and growth and equity were incorporated in the definition of development.
Over a period of time, the meaning of ‘Development’ did not remain restricted to ‘economic growth’ rather it also includes the issues such as improving the well-being and living standard of the people; availing the health facilities; education; equality of opportunity; and ensuring political and civil rights.
The concept of sustainable development emerged in the wake of a general rise in the awareness of environmental issues in the late 1960s in the Western World.
The publication of ‘The Population Bomb’ by Ehrlich in 1968 and ‘The Limits to Growth by Meadows et al in 1972 further raised environmental concerns.
The United Nations established a World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) headed by the Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland. This is the reason that its report submitted in 1987 with the name ‘Our Common Future,’ is also known as Brundtland Report.
Types of Regional Planning
Physical Regional Planning
- Related to the ordering of space – land use, infrastructure network, new town/ settlement
- A basis for the development control mechanism
- Ex: Planning of a new town by Urban Development Agency (UDA) Economic
Regional Planning
- Focuses on the economic structure of an area & its overall economic performance
- Related to resource allocation and distribution
- Example: Resource planning by State Economic Planning Unit
Allocative Regional Planning
- Emphasis on conflict solving
- Also a control mechanism; based on functions and Priorities
- Controls resource allocation when there are changes in financial/ economic policies
- Example: New Economic Plan (NEP) and development of public housing to allow the low income group have the opportunity to own a house Frank Lloyd Wright’s Broadacres City as a classic example of Physical Regional Planning
Innovative Regional Planning
- Not just look at function and efficiency, but also involve improvement to the system
- Renews ideas & allows changes
- Example: Development of LRT system in Kuala Lumpur to overcome the problem of vehicle overcrowding or the opening of small-medium industries in the rural areas to create more job opportunities
Indicative Regional Planning
- Advisory in nature, involve general guidelines
- Introduce basic economic activities and establish modern facilities throughout the states;
- Economically improve the less developed states
Principles of Regional Planning
Specific interventions and solutions will depend entirely on the needs of each region in each country, but generally speaking, regional planning at the macro level will seek to:
- The Principle of Vertical Unity of Phenomena
- The Principle of Horizontal Spatial Unity
- The Principle of Space-time Continuum
- The Principle of Comprehensive Development
- The Principle of Community Development
- The Principle of Equilibrium between Social Desirability and Economic Viability
- The Principle of Ecological Equilibrium
